WordPress allows connecting to other Social Networking Sites like Twitter/ Facebook using their API and WordPress API, and vice versa; either to increase online presence or have seamless integration. There are different routes you can connect to a social networking site like Twitter. One route is WordPress User based and another is Website Visitor based. Most of these either help merge functionalities of two sites or assist co-existence with inter-operational capability.

Some connection methods include:

1] Addition of Post Comments or Specific activity from Website Visitors, by logging in from Third Party Social Websites like Twitter or Facebook

2] Getting RSS feeds of Third Party Single or Multiple User Posts from Twitter/ Facebook/ WordPress to WordPress

3] Posting or Reflecting Posts in Twitter/ Facebook when a Blog or Post is made in WordPress

4] Adding or Reflecting a Twitter/ Facebook Post or a complete Post Search in a WordPress, as a Part of Blog or a Whole Page using a widget or by using ‘shortcodes’

5] Features like Following, Like Buttons are also some features that are used as a mode of Social Website/ Twitter/ Facebook Connectivity

Depending on Type or Category of Function or Feature to connect to Twitter/ Facebook, different Plugins are available. There are social platform independent or platform specific installable Plugins in the Twitter tag sections, which are Plugins or Widgets like:

Development of Plugins (direct integration or widgetization) is done using hooks from WordPress API either Actions (event in WordPress like new Post or User Registration, etc) or Filters (Functions that are performed before an event), depending on need or required feature. However, in absence of Third Party Social Website API, it might not be possible to include some or all of the features that Social Connectivity might provide. Right now, Plugins use different methods to enhance the functionality of WordPress to connect to Twitter.